By Kevin Rademeyer, Sports Journalist.
Photo Credit: UFC.
The UFC middleweight division has not seen a rivalry this raw in years, and by the time the dust settled at Thursday’s chaotic press conference in Newark, it was clear that Saturday night’s main event at UFC 328 is about far more than a championship belt.
Unbeaten middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev will make the first defence of his title against former champion Sean Strickland at the Prudential Center, carrying with him an undefeated record, a growing pound for pound reputation, and the kind of aura that has made him one of the most feared fighters in the sport. Across from him stands Strickland, the volatile former titleholder who has spent the better part of fight week trying to drag the champion into chaos before they ever reach the Octagon. By Thursday afternoon, he succeeded.
The pair nearly came to blows during the UFC 328 press conference after a heated exchange spiralled out of control. UFC president Dana White attempted to keep order as the two men squared off centre stage, even warning them to “be good” before the face off began. Chimaev looked directly at Strickland and promised: “I’m not going to touch you.”
Seconds later, he launched a kick that triggered a mass scramble involving security, officials, and both camps. It was the latest chapter in what has become one of the promotion’s most personal feuds, fuelled by years of tension dating back to their time as training partners at Xtreme Couture. The relationship has completely deteriorated in recent months, with Strickland repeatedly claiming he dominated Chimaev in sparring sessions long before either man reached championship status.
“You had a cough and you quit this f***ing sport,” Strickland shouted during the press conference. “I beat you in the gym, I’ll beat you here, I’ll beat you on this stage in front of everybody.”
The comments were a direct shot at Chimaev’s well documented 2021 battle with lingering COVID 19 complications, a period that briefly pushed the unbeaten contender into discussing retirement. Strickland has relentlessly attacked that moment throughout fight week, questioning the champion’s toughness while also targeting his ties to Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov during several verbal exchanges.
Chimaev, meanwhile, has shown little interest in matching Strickland insult for insult. The champion has instead leaned into the role of cold, dismissive destroyer, repeatedly insisting the outcome is inevitable. “I’m going to be your daddy in the cage,” Chimaev said. “Make you cry again. I’m just happy to be here, bash that guy, make my money, and go home.”
For all the hostility surrounding the fight, the matchup itself remains one of the most intriguing stylistic clashes the division has seen in recent memory. Chimaev enters UFC 328 with a perfect 15 and 0 professional record and victories over former champions Kamaru Usman, Robert Whittaker, and Dricus du Plessis in his last three outings. His dominant win over du Plessis at UFC 319 crowned him champion and reinforced the terrifying effectiveness of his wrestling heavy “smash” style. Strickland believes he can survive it.
The former champion reclaimed momentum earlier this year with a stoppage victory over Anthony Hernandez and has spent the build up insisting he possesses the defensive wrestling and cardio necessary to drag Chimaev into deep waters. It is a claim that has split opinion across the MMA world.
Former interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier sided with the champion, predicting Chimaev’s wrestling will eventually overwhelm Strickland over five rounds. “I don’t think Sean can stop Chimaev’s takedowns,” Poirier said. “Nobody else has.”
Former fighter and analyst Din Thomas disagreed, arguing Strickland is being underestimated entering his fourth middleweight title fight. “Sean is better than his performances show sometimes,” Thomas said. “I think he can actually stop Khamzat’s wrestling.”
Analyst Michael Chiesa expects the contest to become increasingly competitive as the rounds progress, particularly if Strickland can consistently force Chimaev to work for takedowns. “Chimaev will get Strickland down, not with ease, but he’ll get Sean down,” Chiesa said. “This matchup will get interesting in the later rounds.”
That uncertainty has only amplified interest in the contest. Chimaev has rapidly evolved from frightening prospect into one of the sport’s biggest stars, currently sitting fifth in ESPN’s pound for pound rankings while chasing a tenth consecutive UFC victory. Strickland, meanwhile, remains one of the division’s most unpredictable figures, capable of dismantling elite opposition one night and fuelling absolute mayhem the next.
At UFC 328, those worlds finally collide again, this time with the middleweight title sitting in the middle of one of the UFC’s most toxic rivalries.